Gary Payton II The Mainstay In Warriors’ Defense

Gary Payton II
Gary Payton II

Gary Payton II has been one of the finest athletes in the NBA. He was born on 1st December 1992. Gary was always very much passionate about his game. Since childhood, he always wanted to play basketball. This made him start his career very early. 

Payton played his college basketball for Oregon State Beavers. His talent did not take time to be noticed. Gary was adjudged the best defensive player for All Pac-12 & Pac-12. He is the son of the legendary Gary Payton. Payton II currently plays in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors. Gary Payton II has a huge impact on the team. 

He is considered as one of the mainstays in the team’s defense. His abilities have earned him the nickname of “The Mitten”. He has been referred to as a ” weapon” by coach Steve Kerr. Let us learn more about the incident below. 

Gary Payton II Regarded Highly By Coach

Recent times have not been great for Steve Kerr. He has suffered the very first defeat recently. The defeat had fans talking about the game. Kerr was highly criticized for his decision to include Curry late. The match against the Grizzlies saw the Warriors lose their first match. Steph Curry was inducted quite late into the second half. Audiences believed that had he been brought in earlier, the result would have been different. 

The loss made Kerr wonder about the defensive prowess of the team. He seemed to have found just the right person in the team. Gary Payton II has been an absolute rock in the defense. Payton was initially traded out after a mediocre performance a few seasons back. However, the Warriors brought back the man for the 2021-22 season. This move surprised everybody as they left Avery Bradley out.